{"id":17275,"date":"2026-05-10T09:03:52","date_gmt":"2026-05-10T14:03:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/northwoodsleague.com\/rochester-honkers\/?p=17275"},"modified":"2026-05-10T09:03:52","modified_gmt":"2026-05-10T14:03:52","slug":"honkers-strengthen-rotation-with-three-big-arms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/northwoodsleague.com\/rochester-honkers\/2026\/05\/10\/honkers-strengthen-rotation-with-three-big-arms\/","title":{"rendered":"Honkers Strengthen Rotation with Three Big Arms"},"content":{"rendered":"

Rochester, Minn. –\u00a0<\/strong>The moment is almost here as we are under three weeks from kicking off the summer league season. To add to the excitement, the Rochester Honkers are proud to announce the addition of three new players to the roster. Each comes from a respected program across the country and will play a key role in strengthening the Honkers\u2019 pitching staff this summer.<\/p>\n

First up is junior pitcher Maclain Roberts from the University of Arizona. Unlike many of his teammates, Roberts has traveled a long way to get here. A native of Auckland, New Zealand, he will make Rochester his home for the summer. Roberts spent his previous two seasons at Pima Community College before transitioning smoothly to Arizona. The 6-foot-5 left-hander has been impressive across 17 appearances, logging 23.0 innings with a solid 3.91 ERA in the highly competitive Big 12 Conference. While there is still room for growth, Roberts has shown the potential to be one of the strongest arms in Rochester\u2019s rotation this season.<\/p>\n

Next is redshirt freshman Riley Leatherman from the University of North Carolina, one of the premier programs in the country. For Leatherman, this summer will serve as something of a homecoming. He grew up just an hour and a half northwest of Rochester in Maple Grove, Minnesota, and will return to his home state for the season. Coming out of high school, Leatherman was ranked the No. 2 prospect in Minnesota and earned the prestigious \u201cMr. Baseball\u201d honor. After redshirting his freshman season, he has seen limited action this year at UNC, making his time with the Honkers a valuable opportunity to gain experience and build confidence on the mound.<\/p>\n

Lastly, the Honkers welcome right-handed pitcher Jaylen Cream from Crosby, Texas. Cream has enjoyed success at Cameron University, where he has logged 67.0 innings this season while recording 44 strikeouts. His standout performance came in a 7.0- inning outing against Sul Ross St. in which he allowed just three hits, struck out seven, and gave up only two earned runs. Currently holding a 5.37 ERA, Cream brings both experience and upside as he continues to refine his craft. He adds a unique dimension to the pitching staff and will provide valuable depth throughout the summer.<\/p>\n

These are three names to watch as the Honkers pursue another Northwoods League championship. Each player brings a different journey, Leatherman returning close to home, Roberts traveling from across the globe, and Cream representing Texas, but all will come together in Rochester with one shared goal: winning.<\/p>\n

###<\/em><\/p>\n

The Rochester Honkers are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. The Northwoods League is the proven leader in the development of elite college baseball players. Now in its\u2019 32nd season, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 24 teams, drawing significantly more fans, in a friendly ballpark experience, than any league of its kind. A valuable training ground for coaches, umpires, and front office staff, 360 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including three-time All-Star and 2016 Roberto Clemente Award winner Curtis Granderson, three-time Cy Young Award winner and two-time World Series Champion Max Scherzer (TOR), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist and Brandon Crawford \u00a0and World Series Champion and Cy Young Award winner Chris Sale (ATL). As well as 2019 Rookie of the Year and 2019\/2021 Home Run Derby Champion Pete Alonso (NYM) and 2021 All-Star, MLB Gold Glove winner and 2019 Second Team All-MLB shortstop Marcus Semien (TEX). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League website. League games are viewable live on FloSports. For more information, visit\u00a0www.rochesterhonkers.com<\/a>\u00a0or download the new Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play and set the Honkers as your favorite team.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Rochester, Minn. –\u00a0The moment is almost here as we are under three weeks from kicking off the summer league season. 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